Professor Mark Rienzi Argues before 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals

Catholic University law school Professor Mark Rienzi advocated on behalf of a Montgomery County, Md., pregnancy center on Dec. 6 before the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Va.

Rienzi continued his representation of Centro Tepeyac, which provides pregnancy counseling information to expectant mothers in Montgomery County but does not offer abortion or birth control services.

Centro Tepeyac had been forced by county statute to post a notice outside its doors stating that it does not have a medical professional on staff, and that county health officials recommend that women who may be pregnant see a doctor.

The organization sued on the grounds that only pregnancy counseling centers that oppose abortion were singled out and forced to post the notices.

In June, a three-judge panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found the Montgomery County statute unconstitutional, as well as a similar one in Baltimore.

Last week Rienzi revisited his arguments during an en banc proceeding before all 15 judges on the court.

An Associated Press account summarized the opposing arguments. An audio record of the arguments is also available through the court’s Web site.